Nathan 5 BIGELOW

15146. Nathan 5 BIGELOW, youngest
child of John 4 (John
3,
Samuel
2, John
1), and Rebecca
(HOWE), was born 9 Oct 1744 in Holden, Worcester co, MA. In 1767 he
married Mrs. Jesse Betts, widow of Capt. Jesse BETTS, and by tradition
a CURTIS by birth.
Much of the information comes from a pension
application of his stepson Bartlett BETTS, who explained that from the
age of 2 or 3 he, Bartlett, used the sire-name Bigalow, and under that
name served in the Revolutionary War. After the war, he was advised that
he should for legal reasons resume the name BETTS, and did so. About this
time the family moved from Pownal, VT to Sandy Hook, Washington co, NY.
Then in the summer of 1790 Bartlett traveled to New York City, and on his
return at an unspecified date found "my mother had died, the family was
moving to Clinton county, and the house in great turmoil. At this time,
I lost my discharge papers."
The family was enumerated on the 1790 census
of New York at Sandy Hook, and certainly soon after that the family appeared
at Peru, NY. But the youngest son allegedly was born 1793, leaving some
doubt as to the accuracy of Bartlett's statement, unless Nathan remarried;
Mrs. BETTS must surely have been in 1793 rather old to bear a child, for
her other children were born in the 1760's and 1770's. The early records
of New York show nothing, and we know only that by 1800 Nathan and his
wife were deceased, and they left at least 3 sons, and 3 or 4 daughters.
We know nothing of the daughters.
Bartlett BETTS, the stepson, owned land in Pownal, VT and in Peru,
NY. He married and had a large family; his widow Anna lived to
a great age and died in Flint, MI. She also applied for a pension through
her husband's military service.
1790 census: NY-Washington-Kingsbury-Nathan Bigelow: 2-1-3-0-0

15146.3t Nathan 6
was born circa 1793, probably at Sandy Hook, Washington co, NY. The family
moved to Clinton county, NY, and there Nathan lived the remainder of his
life. He served in the War of 1812, and in 1818 married Clarinda Folger
BARKER, born 1794. Nathan died 16 May 1860 at Peru, Clarinda on 20 June
1874 at age 78. Both buried in New Schuyler Falls cemetery

Sources:Howe, Bigelow Family of America page 477 ;
Bigelow Family Genealogy Vol I page 105-106;
pension application of Bartlett BETTS alias BIGALOW;
Bible records of Ephraim and Polly BIGELOW;
correspondence with descendants of Ephraim and Irad BIGELOW;
censuses VT and NY;
cemetery inscriptions Clinton co, NY;
Correspondence Schuyler Falls Historical Society;
Under this source I will quote from a letter from a Laurel (Bigelow)Barklow
from Jonesville, MI in which she asks and answers a few questions. It was
dated 1974. This was found in the files of the Historical Society aforementioned:

"On page 477 of Bigelow Genealogy to 1890, by Howe, is:
Nathan Bigelow of Ausable Valley, Clinton co, NY. Who is said by his
descendants to have emigrated from NH or MA, but they could not trace him
further. We think it probable that he was the Nathan, son of John and Rebecca
(Howe) Bigelow on page 54, #270 as b in Holden, MA, 9 Oct 1744. Family
tradition would indicate his wife's name was Curtis. He had three sons
and three or four daughters. He died about 1800. The sons were:
1... Ephriam; m and had three sons, all now dead;
2... Irad, m had five sons, of whom we have names of two:
.........Melville J.- Business in Kalamazoo, MI
..........Anson -b about 1804- res Ausable Forks, NY
3... Nathan, b, 1793; m 1818, Clarinda Folger (BAKER?), had 4 sons
and 1 daughter"

She then asks a question:
Is Ephriam Bigelow who m. Polly Woodruff, the son of the above mentioned
Nathan?
The answer is yes!
Her data was obtained from Washington, DC Archives that stated: "Nathan
m. the widow of Jesse Betts, he having drowned, leaving her with a baby
son named Bartlett Betts, who has a descendant in Michigan. Mrs. Jesse
Betts maiden name could have been Curtis. Henry Bigelow, son of Ephriam,
named his first child Joseph Curtis Bigelow."
Note2:Subject: Bigelow-BettsDate: Sun, 5 Dec 1999 20:01:55 EST
From: BruceC1480@aol.com I must say I was very happy to run into your website.
I am a decendant of Bartlett and Anna Betts. I would be very interested
to know if you have any other information on these people. It has
been like finding a needle in a haystack for any information at all.
Thank you in advance.
Bruce Colles